Last Updated on 2 months by Charbel Coorey

It has been an eventful week in Australia’s ODI setup, with four Champions Trophy squad replacements required. Pat Cummins (ankle), Josh Hazlewood (hip) and Mitchell Marsh (back) are all injured, while Marcus Stoinis announced his retirement from the format.

So, should Australia opt for like-for-like replacements (i.e. two fast bowlers and two seam-bowling all-rounders), or look for a different approach? Before we have a look at who Australia should bring in and why, here is a reminder of the preliminary squad minus the four absentees.

Australia’s preliminary squad for the Champions Trophy (with four players to be added): Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa

Who should Australia bring into their Champions Trophy squad? 4 candidates

Australia play their group games at Lahore (against England and Afghanistan) and Rawalpindi (against South Africa). Both grounds are typically paradises for batting in the white-ball formats, which should get Australia thinking about wicket-taking pace-bowling options.

Spencer Johnson

Spencer Johnson would offer Australia plenty of value. A strike bowler who can deliver in the powerplay and death overs, Johnson has risen up the ranks in recent times following years of struggle with injuries.

Whether Johnson makes the playing XI is cause for debate, but with Mitchell Starc’s heavy workload in recent times, having a backup option who is capable of performing is key.

What may work against Johnson is he has only two ODIs and ten List A games of experience under his belt. However, the Champions Trophy is a short tournament where he can contribute when needed.

Alternative option: Lance Morris

Xavier Bartlett

Australia will be without Josh Hazlewood’s accuracy and quality in the powerplay. One bowler who could be a handy replacement is Xavier Bartlett, who enjoyed a terrific start to his ODI career against West Indies in February 2024.

Bartlett swings the ball up top and can give Australia a foothold in their contests on good batting pitches. Plus, he can be called upon at the death to deliver yorkers alongside Starc and (likely) Nathan Ellis.

Alternative options: Sean Abbott or Riley Meredith

Cooper Connolly

Australia are currently without a left-arm spin option in their squad. If conditions aid spin throughout the tournament, Cooper Connolly is a player the Aussies will be happy to turn to as a player who can deliver a few overs and bat down the order.

Connolly is coming off an excellent BBL 2024/25 season where he showed plenty of maturity with the bat. He also became Australia’s 471st Test player in Sri Lanka, with the team management impressed with his bowling consistency at training.

Alternatively, Australia could look at add another specialist batting option. According to a report by CODE Sports, Jake Fraser-McGurk is expected to be picked in the squad. However, if Fraser-McGurk is indeed picked in the XI, it would be a risk given he is yet to nail his technique and tempo in the 50-over format.

Alternative options: Jake Fraser-McGurk or Mitch Owen

Will Sutherland

With Marcus Stoinis or Mitchell Marsh unavailable, Australia need a capable bowling option in the middle overs. Will Sutherland’s bowling is his strength as he hits the pitch hard and can generate movement with the newer ball.

Sutherland, who has two ODIs under his belt, offers an alternative option to Aaron Hardie, who kisses the surface more in comparison. If Australia do opt for Sutherland in the XI, he could offer good value with the bat down the order and with the ball throughout the innings.

Alternative option: Beau Webster

Australia possible XI with these four players added to the squad: 1. Travis Head, 2. Matthew Short, 3. Steve Smith (c), 4. Marnus Labuschagne, 5. Aaron Hardie/Alex Carey, 6. Josh Inglis, 7. Glenn Maxwell, 8. Mitchell Starc, 9. Nathan Ellis, 10. Adam Zampa, 11. Spencer Johnson/Xavier Bartlett

Reserves: Will Sutherland, Cooper Connelly, Alex Carey/Aaron Hardie, Xavier Bartlett/Spencer Johnson

Australia’s first match of the 2025 Champions Trophy will be against England on 22nd February in Lahore. Pakistan are the defending champions, having won the title in 2017.